


Parental Instinct

by Cheeky_The_Monkey



Series: Whumptober 2020 [3]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Edwin Jarvis, Hurt Edwin Jarvis, JARVIS Whump, Jarvis is the best parent, Protective Edwin Jarvis, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:47:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26800882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheeky_The_Monkey/pseuds/Cheeky_The_Monkey
Summary: Initially, Edwin Jarvis isn't quite sure why he just took a bullet for little Anthony.Written for Whumptober 2020! Day 3 Prompt: Held At Gunpoint
Relationships: Edwin Jarvis & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951183
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Parental Instinct

_“A child is not an invention, Howard!”_

_“Well I made him, so he belongs to me! You don’t get a say in how I raise my son!”_

_“But you’re not even the one raising him, Mr Jarvis is!”_

Edwin Jarvis pulled a sniffling Anthony closer to his chest. Peggy Carter and Howard Stark hadn’t been seeing eye to eye of late, little Anthony being the cause, and though Edwin had plenty to say on the matter he decided to keep quiet. Partly because Ms Carter could handle herself and Mr Stark was his employer, but also because he needed to comfort Anthony.

Definitely _not_ because he was intimidated by how they were arguing about him.

“You don’t run a multi-billion dollar company Peg, you don’t know how much I’ve got on my plate! Jarvis just helps to-”

“ _‘Helps?’_ Jarvis just _‘helps?!’_ Howard, you must be mad to not see that Jarvis doesn’t _‘just’_ do anything! The man’s been working for you for god knows how many years because you’ve got him under some silly notion that he owes you something. You treat him like a slave-”

“Hey, I pay Jarvis huge-”

Peggy slammed her hands down onto the command table. 

_“I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY-”_

“If I may interrupt,” Edwin said meekly, causing the pair’s heads to snap towards him, “Ms Carter, I work for Mr Stark entirely of my own accord. And he doesn’t treat _me_ unkindly.”

He hoped that only Ms Carter would understand what he was insinuating.

“And as far as I’m concerned, if I had my way I would spend every hour of every day with Master Anthony.”

Peggy sent him a look of pity, and it made Edwin uncomfortable. He was very happy in his position, and to have his best friend not support him was a very unwelcome feeling.

Howard seemed to pick up on the shared look between the Brits and he scowled.

“Jarvis, take Anthony home. I’ll make my own way back.” He instructed, turning his back on Peggy.

Peggy stared at Edwin intensely over Howard’s shoulder, as if daring him to obey Stark’s words like a dog obeys its master.

After meeting Peggy’s eye one last time, Edwin hung his head with a gulp. 

“Right away, Sir.”

Throwing her hands into the air, Peggy scoffed. 

As Edwin adjusted Anthony’s position in his arms and turned to leave, he heard his friend whisper something angrily to Howard, and Howard shouting in response. He tried to tune them out and sang softly to distract a frightened Anthony.

His singing tactic seemed to have worked because little Anthony was positively chirpy in the car journey back home. He’d begun to try and sing all by himself, and it warmed Edwin’s heart when he realised that he was trying to mimic Edwin’s own voice and song. And so, Edwin thought, it would be a crime not to join in.

They were halfway through their fourteenth time singing ‘Sing A Song Of Sixpence’ when Jarvis noticed the car tailing them.

He panicked and foolishly swerved into the first alleyway he could find.

“Why stop singy, Jaabis?” Anthony asked beside him.

(Whenever Edwin had to drive Anthony anywhere when Mr Stark was angry, he always fitted the car seat in the front so that he could sit beside him. It was usually a treat for both of them. Now, Edwin wished he could hide Anthony literally anywhere but the front seat.)

“No reason, Anthony.” Though it was already late and the lack of light in the alley he’d chosen made seeing difficult, the group of three men approaching was still distinct through the darkness. 

Trying to quench his own rising sense of panic, Edwin quietly unbuckled the boy and stroked his back. “We’re going to play a game now, alright?” He said as the closest man’s shadow fell over him, unable to prevent his voice from cracking with fear. “Stay as quiet as we can. Can you do that for me?”

Anthony nodded and placed a chubby finger over his lips. Despite the situation, Edwin smiled. 

Being a personal butler (and often chauffeur) to Howard Stark meant that Edwin Jarvis was not unfamiliar with being chased in the car and/or mugged. But usually it was when Howard was present, or at least when he was alone.

Never just him and Anthony. And unlike Mr Stark, Jarvis couldn’t brandish huge amounts of money to bribe assailants.

There was a rifle in the car. He was the one who put it there. But it was on Anthony’s side, and the men were close enough to see any move he made. It wasn’t worth the risk. If he acted defenceless, there was a chance the pair may get off better.

Better, but not completely unharmed.

And so Edwin panicked. He panicked as he continued to rub Anthony’s back soothingly. He panicked as he whispered words of reassurance.

He jumped when the driver’s window was smashed open. He _screamed_ when the passenger window was smashed open, showering Anthony in glass, and a large pair of hands lifted him out.

“Get out.” The assailant on his side commanded, and Edwin did so without a word, his heart thumping dangerously heavily in his chest.

The second he was on his feet, he felt something cool and hard get sharply pressed in the small of his back. Again, he wasn’t unfamiliar to the sensation of having the barrel of a gun attached to him.

On the other side, the second man was holding Anthony in a way that was restraining his tiny limbs. The third man had a gun pointed at him from a distance.

“We’ve got simple demands, _butler.”_ The first man snarled behind him. “Talk to your boss. Tell him you need help. We’ll handle the rest.”

Now, here’s the odd thing.

In normal (literally all other) circumstances, Edwin wouldn’t have wasted a second obeying and begging Stark for help. He’d done that exact thing many times before.

But that time wasn’t normal. In that instance, he happened to be staring a wailing Anthony in the face as he was twisted and bruised by their captors. And for some reason, it was only that time that Edwin remembered his military training.

And suddenly, his instinct was telling him to do a very stupid thing that would almost certainly get himself killed. His instinct had never done that before.

Edwin did it anyway.

Having the height advantage, he threw himself backwards onto his personal assailant who was caught off guard. The gun hurt when he landed on it, but that sensation of pain helped him to immediately roll over and snatch it. It then took him only a few seconds to orientate himself and get himself onto his knees, where he could shoot the man holding his child without harming Anthony himself.

And so he took the shot. It met its mark and the man stumbled backwards, releasing a shocked Anthony. Edwin had a millisecond to sigh with relief before he quickly aimed at the third assailant and pulled the trigger.

Two shots rang out.

The assailant fell to the ground. Edwin did too.

_“JAABIS!”_ Anthony screamed, rushing to his side and gently slapping his cheek to check if he was alright in his own, innocent way.

It took at least five seconds (it felt like longer) for Edwin to feel any pain. When he did, he realised he now had a hole in his left shoulder. Oh.

“Jaabis! Jaabis, y-you oh-tay?”

Surprisingly, he felt fine. In excruciating pain, yes, but not panicky anymore. That was very odd, considering he’d just been shot, but the important thing was that Anthony was safe.

But why had he done that?

“Uh oh, bwood! Jaabis, bwood! Bwood!”

Edwin coughed and gritted his teeth. “I know, I know.” He outstretched his right arm towards the child. “Come here.”

Anthony waddled towards him, his big brown eyes wide with shock and worry. He wrapped his tiny hands around Edwin’s index finger and squeezed it.

“W-Would you like to do me a favour?”

It was a phrase that he’d often use when working around the mansion. Since Anthony toddled around to follow him anyway, he’d ask the boy to help with the easiest of tasks. That way, he was hoping to prevent him from becoming a stereotypical selfish rich boy and instead into a kind-hearted one with at least some sort of sense of responsibility.

And Anthony, bless him, always said yes.

Through his tears (oh no, he was crying) Anthony nodded bravely. “Oh-tay.”

Edwin tried to hide his agony and smiled. “I’m going to need you to go towards that bright lamppost over there and call for help as loud as you can. Can you do that for me?”

Anthony nodded and immediately began to run over towards the light and main road.

_“Hewp!” He yelled. “Pwease hewp! Bwood! My dada needs hewp!”_

For a brief second, Edwin lost all sense of pain as he registered Anthony's words.

So _that’s_ why he did it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment :)


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